MattMcK, this is how I did my brakes. My '57 2 ton is still the stock brake system, I rebuilt all 6 wheel cylinders and the master cylinder, I replace every steel and rubber line except the cross-over lines inside the rear drums. When I plumbed the new lines I hydraulically by-passed the frame mounted Hydro-Vac knowing that it needed attention. So I had a complete manual system with no leaks. I raised each wheel off the ground and adjusted the shoes so I had trouble spinning the wheel, rotated the wheel backward and forward to help center the shoes, readjusted as needed to have them scuffing the drums. I had a helper at the brake peddle as I cracked each bleeder, longest line first to the shortest last, with the wheels off the ground I could then try to spin each wheel, if there was no brake drag I re-adjusted for light scuffing, after driving a few short test trips I re-bled in the same order. The truck had a very high firm peddle and no leaks, I used it with manual brakes until I re-built the Hydro-Vac. After mounting the Hydro-Vac I re-connected the lines as original and gravity bled the hydro- Vac, the system is working real well.
